I love feeling so full I could burst! No, I'm not talking about the feeling you get after eating a big meal - I'm talking about having a full heart. There are a lot of things that make me feel this way: a good laugh with my husband, my family, time with friends, etc., but this feeling is even different from those. I've been known, probably for my entire 33 years of existence, to often have "a lot on my plate." I'm involved in quite a bit - I swear my husband doesn't believe that the word "no" is in my vocabulary. If I'm approached to help with something I typically agree to it. I sit on a number of boards for different organizations, and each one brings something special to my life.

Recently I was asked by my alma mater to sit on a board for the alumni association. After much deliberation (and against my husband's request to sit one out) I agreed. My first board meeting brought self-doubt. I was surrounded by a number of people who loved and adored our university, people who had been super involved during their college years and couldn't wait to send their children there....which was different than I was feeling.To be truthful, while I thoroughly enjoyed my college years, that weekend I kept wishing I could do them over again. Not because I wanted to relive my sorority years or go back to a time that was much more simple and carefree, but because I didn't feel as though I had taken any of it all that seriously. I changed my major a number of times, I didn't get the greatest grades and spent too much time worrying about what some guy thought of me instead of what my professor might think if I turned in another paper a week late.Proud? Not really. How was I a good representative of this place if I was questioning my time there?The fact was, after my first board meeting, I was actually feeling pretty crummy. I was asked to be on an important board, to help reach out to other alumni and encourage their continued involvement and support of our beloved university, but all I could remember about those 4 years was how much time I wasted NOT paying more attention to my future.I began to think I didn't have a story - I no longer had a connection that was worthy of my participation. This past weekend was Homecoming, and another board meeting. For those of you that haven't been back to your alma mater since you walked the stage and received your diploma, this post may not be interesting to you - but I ask you to bear with me.I have returned to my university every year since I graduated -except the year one of my very best friends got married on the same weekend as Homecoming. I didn't return to meet up with professors who shaped me, I didn't return to catch up with old friends or check out the newest happenings of the town. I returned to see the man I would someday marry.As much as the 4 years I spent there revolved around the wrong man - the 11 years I returned revolved around the right one. It may seem silly to even admit this, clearly I received an extraordinary education and have benefited greatly from my time at school, but my story - the one that ties me to this place - that revolves around my husband. When I finally opened up and admitted this weekend that the one thing that made this place seem so special to me was another person, not a class, not my degree, not a professor - but a person, a person I barely knew in college (even though that's where we technically met) but has since become my whole life - my ties to the school felt that much greater.My story wasn't a silly one - this place had shaped me just as it had each and every one of my fellow board members. This place had taught me more about who I was, who I wanted to be and what not to settle for. While I definitely received an education (from some very talented professors) I also became my own teacher - I just didn't know it then.After my realization I honestly felt a stronger bond than I had ever felt. My heart was full, I embraced the moment, the people I was surrounded with and the blessings God had bestowed upon me. And my heart was overflowing.For you it might be something different, but everyone has something they are holding back on, something that they haven't truly opened themselves up to. I urge you to stop holding back, stop feeling silly, stop comparing yourself to others. Tell your story - even if you're just telling it to yourself. Embrace the moments you wish you had done differently, and know that you have the authority to make the most of every experience - past, present or future.Whether it's returning to an old stomping ground or allowing a song or memory to transport you to another place in time - remember that every.single.moment brought you to this place (Even the ones that didn't go exactly as planned). Your story was written exactly as it was meant to be, exactly for you. Embrace it and let your heart be full.

We have a restaurant in town that has such yummy sandwiches and salads. I was recently there and saw a new beet salad on the menu. Anytime I can get my hands on a fresh beet salad you know I get it! It was so delicious, and since I realized that I had all of the ingredients at home, I decided to recreate it the next day.

This salad is a bit on the sweeter side - the roasted beets, chewy dates, carrots and citrus vinaigrette are sweet, but not in an overpowering way. I paired this salad with some flaky whitefish (as I normally do with light salads) and the fish gave it a lovely balance. If you don't eat fish you could easily add chicken or white beans for protein.Beet and Date Saladserves 44 beets, cleaned and roasted4 dates, pitted and chopped1 carrot, gratedhandful of mixed greens for each servingslivered almonds

Citrus Vinaigrette

Juice from one orange1/4 c olive oilsplash of champagne vinegarsalt & pepper to tastePreheat your oven to 400. Clean your beets and trim the ends off. Place them in a small roasting dish with a half inch of water and bake until tender, about 20 min. When they are done, let them cool and then peel the skins off. Cube them and add to your salad.Pit and chop your dates, grate your carrot and clean your greens. Make your vinaigrette and then assemble the salad. Greens, then dates, carrots and beets. Dress and top with slivered almonds.

Fall dinners don't have to be difficult. Roasting the beets is the longest part of this dish, and you could easily roast extra and keep them in the fridge to add to other salads throughout the week. Bought dates and now you don't know what to do with them? You can add them to smoothies for sweetness (if you are new to green smoothies, dates are a great way to add some sweetness without filling your cup with a ton of high sugar fruits), add it to your homemade nut milks for some natural sweetness or stuff with cheese and wrap in bacon (; Enjoy!XoXo,Nicole

This dish kind of happened by accident. I follow a lot of food blogs, and may have even posted on Facebook about wanting to try these delicious looking chive pancakes. I did end up making them, but it made so many that I wasn't sure what to do with the extras. Since they felt to me more like crepes, I decided a savory crepe would be perfect for dinner.

I was thinking along the lines of spring rolls, with cool crisp veggies, and tacos. I had a number of veggies in my fridge, and with 2 heads of cabbage from the last two CSA boxes, I knew I could marry the two and find a winner!I almost always have shrimp on hand, but you could use a flaky whitefish, salmon or even chicken. I had shrimp, so I cleaned them up and let them marinate in some lime juice and 1 clove of minced garlic. While those were sitting, I made this easy slaw (the same slaw I use for fish tacos) and then sliced up some raw veggies.

I chopped cucumbers into matchsticks, sliced some baby bell peppers thin and sliced up some scallions.To sauté your shrimp, heat 1-2 T olive oil on medium heat, dump in the shrimp and let cook for about 2 min. Flip them and let them cook 1 -2 more minutes, depending on their size. You don't want to overcook shrimp or it will become rubbery. When they turn pink, they are done. Remove them from the heat, they'll continue to cook through.When the shrimp were done, I layered all of this down the center of a crepe, folded over and ate. Easy and different! And now I know how to use up extra crepes!

Zucchini is one of those foods that grows like weeds. Honestly, I get more questions about what to do with all the zucchini people have than any other veggie. Recently I was out walking my dogs and saw that a neighbor had a table at the end of her driveway with a ton of produce. The sign said free, and she had plastic bags so you could fill up with as much as you wanted. Majority of what was left was tomatoes, green peppers and a ton of zucchini. Since I'm not one to pass up free, homegrown veggies, I helped myself to a bag of zucchini. I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.I love cookbooks. My husband built me an extension on our kitchen island so that I could house them all. While I am thrilled to experiment on my own in the kitchen, sometimes I like to be inspired by other dishes, and who doesn't like looking at those delicious photographs? Yum!While on vacation a couple weekends ago, I picked up The Farm by Ian Knauer. While a lot of the dishes include heavy cream and white flour, there are some magical dishes filled with fresh veggies from the garden. I couldn't wait to dig into his Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette, and I'm sure you won't be able to either!Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Tomato VinaigretteThe Farm by Ian Knauerserves 63 large zucchini3 T olive oil1 1/2 t salt1 1/4 t pepper1 garlic clove1 sweet onion, chopped2 medium tomatoes, chopped1/4 c finely chopped flat leaf parsley1 T lime juicePreheat the grill and oil the grill rack.Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Rub the cut sides with 1 T oil and then sprinkle them evenly with a pinch of salt and pepper.Grill the zucchini over direct heat, covered, turning occasionally, until slightly charred and soft all the way through (about 6-10 min). Mince the garlic, chop your onion, tomatoes and parsley. Add together with the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Place the zucchini on a serving plate and top with the tomato vinaigrette to serve.

If you're looking to get rid of your zucchini, this is a super yummy way to do it! Such a refreshing side dish to any summer meal!Enjoy!XoXo,Nicole

Labor Day has come and gone, kids are back to school and the crazy schedules have resumed. If you're anything like me (even without kids) you wonder how the days fly by so fast. There don't seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on my to-do list. So when it comes to dinners, there is no way we are eating healthy balanced meals unless I plan ahead.I know, I know, planning takes effort and time and blah, blah, blah. Here's the deal, plain and simple: If you want to eat healthy you have to plan ahead. I'm not kidding - you're probably making it much more difficult than it needs to be, but one of the most frustrating things I deal with when working with clients are people who expect that a healthy, well-balanced meal is just going to show up on their dinner tables each night. I can give you all of the tips you want, but if you don't use them nothing will change.Ready for a change?You don't need a fancy notepad or a thousand cookbooks - you just need a piece of scratch paper, a writing utensil and some basic knowledge of cooking.The more often you do this the easier it will become, but for starters, you want to set aside at least an hour or two a week. I like to do this on Sundays after church. I plan out my meals, get my recipes in order, take things out to thaw, chop and prep. The number one mistake I find people making is that they plan their meals around protein. If they have chicken they try and come up with a chicken dish. Then when half the produce in their fridge goes bad because they didn't use it up fast enough, they complain that healthy eating is expensive and they end up throwing things away.Rule #1: Plan your meals around your produce, not your protein.Why not plan your meals around the things that are going to spoil first if you don't use them? Afterall, the meat can sit in your freezer for a month, but the bok choy will only last a few days.Make a list of all of the items you have in your fridge or pantry that will go bad if you don't use them in the next week. Then make a list of all of the proteins you have and then the "extras" you have in your pantry (canned tomatoes, beans, pasta, etc). Remember you only need a handful of recipes for the week - there will most likely be leftovers. Also keep in mind produce that is starting to lose it's "oomph" can easily be thrown in a sauté, or baked in a dish and no one will ever know it was on it's last leg.Rule #2: Utilize your resources.Don't be afraid to browse cookbooks, food blogs (ahem) and even Pinterest (even though I think Pinterest is the devil and you'll end up needing to set aside 5 hours a week instead of 1 for this task). Just keep one thing in mind: you're not Martha Stewart, and unless you're entertaining a crowd every night of the week, your family will just be happy that you're putting hot, healthy food on the table.Rule #3: Get your spouse/kids involved.

I realize the last sentence in the above paragraph might not be realistic. I happen to have a husband that isn't picky, but if you do have picky eaters, ask their input. Especially kids, don't forget to ask them what they would like to eat during the week. If they pick the meals, then they will take ownership in that meal and want to eat it. Don't forget to have them help you cook it too!Rule #4: Write it down.I have a whiteboard in my kitchen that lists out: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday....and next to each day is listed what we're eating. If I have salad mix that needs to get eaten and cherry tomatoes that are getting wrinkly, then I'll grill up some chicken breast and make Southwest Chicken Salads. After you have your list of what you have and what recipes look good to your family, write it down so that you have an action plan. This doesn't mean the plan can't change, but knowing what you intend to make the next night will help you to take meat of the freezer the night before, get a head start on chopping veggies and adding any additional items you need from the store to your weekly list so you're not stuck that night without an ingredient.Writing it down will also help you identify nights that might be a bit crazier than normal that week. If you've got soccer practice Tuesday nights and piano lessons on Thursdays, you can plan meals those evenings that take less time to prep and cook.Rule #5: Do as much as you can ahead of timeI mentioned earlier that you should set aside 1-2 hours. If you have your weekly list written out, and you know you'll need chopped veggies for stir fry, chop them that day and then store them in a container in the fridge until the night you need them. If you need to grate some cheese or make a marinade, do it ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you need it. The more steps you can get out of the way, the less time you'll spend scrambling that night.These are just some basic steps to help you get started. To help save more time, do one grocery store trip in a week. If you are planning ahead and writing it down, you'll know what items you need for each meal that you don't already have at home. This way you're also less likely to purchase a bunch of food at the store that you'll never eat before it goes bad. Grocery stores are like Targets, you need a list to stay on track or you'll end up spending more than you need on things you won't use.Meal planning can be very enjoyable, once you get the hang of it! I encourage you to set time aside each week to make this a family practice. You spend time each week planning out when you'll get your nails done, see friends, and even what you'll wear - why don't you plan what you feed yourself and your family? Afterall, isn't what you put IN your body more important than what you put ON it?Here's a sample of our menu this week - where I had a lot of zucchini to get rid of!Sunday: Labor Day Cookout at Dad'sMonday: Zucchini Pizza and SaladTuesday: Fresh Brats on the grill and grilled zucchini with tomato vinaigretteWednesday: Pasta with Pesto Sauce and Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion SaladThursday: Dinner Out with FriendsFriday: Pork Chops with Scallion Citrus Relish and Salad with Avocado dressingSaturday: Honey - Jalapeno Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Chili Corn-on-the-cobI'd love to hear any additional tips and comments you have. Has meal planning become a part of your routine?XoXo,Nicole

Labor Day weekend is usually packed full of end of summer events: festivals, parades, cookouts, picnics, etc. No matter how you celebrate there is usually some food involved. Those of you who know me, know that I like to entertain - when I entertain I can control what I'm eating and not feel bad about passing on a dish that includes things normally not found in my everyday diet. I hope I'm not being taken off of invite lists as we speak, but paying attention to what I eat doesn't end because I've been invited to someone's home for a gathering.Picnics and cookouts tend to be culprits for showcasing heavy side dishes that could be meals on their own. Not only is there typically way too much food, but the tables are filled with salads caked in mayo, jello mixed with fake whipped toppings and cakes, cookies and desserts galore! While those things are fine every now and again (except jello - I don't understand how people eat that), eating a ton of it in one sitting (and then going back for seconds or thirds) means a heavy crash later.I'd rather enjoy the company at a cookout and not feel like I need a pair of elastic-waist pants or a nap. If you're headed out this weekend, and still looking for a wholesome side dish to bring, look no further. This salad has all of the classics of summer, but can really be made with whatever fresh veggies you have laying around. Carrots? Sure. Zucchini? Absolutely. Green beans? Toss 'em in.It really is that versatile.Garden Potato Saladserves 4-61 lb. baby red potatoes, cubed and cooked4 ears of corn, husked, cooked and cut off of the cob1/4 c red onion, mincedmixed baby bell peppers, minced (or one of your favorite colored pepper)cherry tomatoes, quarteredfresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, green and purple basilsalt & pepper4 T apple cider or champagne vinegar1/4 c olive oilCube your potatoes and add to a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (about 10 min). Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Bring the remaining water back to a boil and add your ears of corn. Cook for about 5-7 min or until tender. Remove from the pot and let cool.Meanwhile chop all of the remaining veggies and herbs and add to a large mixing bowl. Cut the kernels off of the cobs, add the corn and potatoes to the mixing bowl.In a smaller bowl, whisk your vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the potato salad. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

This salad can be eaten warm (delicious) or refrigerated until later and served cool or at room temperature. No matter how you eat it, the tanginess from the vinegar and sweetness from the corn give this potato salad a refreshing facelift!However you're celebrating this weekend, enjoy!